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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Plant Polymer Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #72260
Title: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN SOYBEAN UTILIZATION RESEARCH: POLYURETHANE FOAMS ANDPLYWOOD ADHESIVES

Author
item Dunn Jr, Larson
item KARCHER, LARRY - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS
item SHARP, PATRICIA - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS

Submitted to: US-Japan Coop Pgm on Dev and Util of Natural Products Abstracts Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Two major areas of activity in soybean utilization research are poly- urethane foams and plywood adhesives. With recent international agreements to ban the manufacture and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), alternative procedures for synthesizing foams are a target of this and other poly- urethane research. Soy molasses and soy whey were incorporated into rigid polyurethane foams as alternative high moisture blowing agents. They were used as unmodified aqueous solutions of varying solids' levels as simple additives to foams or as partial replacements for isocyanate components. Soy flours were also used as fillers in rigid foams. Foams created using soybean-derived materials were compared to standard CFC- and water-blown foams in terms of density, compressive strength, friability, open cell content and thermal conductivity. Samples with less than 20% moisture generally performed equal to or better than water-blown control foams in all tests. Amounts of up to 40% by weight, based on foam polyol, were use with predictable degradation of foam properties as the amount of the soy- bean product was increased. These same materials and others from soybeans were also incorporated into plywood adhesives. Soy oligosaccharides, spent hulls, meals, flours, soy protein concentrate and isolate were also added to plywood glue mixes as a replacement for expensive phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin and evaluated in high moisture southern yellow pine test panels. Depending on the nature and source of the soybean material, adjustments to water contents were made. At the 10% level of replacement, the best overall results in terms of wood failure, tensile strength and economics were obtained with spent hulls and soy protein concentrate.